Is anyone else a seller having problems with Ebay not truly investigating cases after asking Ebay to step in and help after 3 days of a return request being opened?
I have had my account on Ebay for 20 years and have been collecting jerseys for close to 35 years. I have been without a job for 2 years as a result of Covid. Although I was able to collect unemployment, my benefits had run out as of last august. I have been selling some of my long time collected items in order to pay my bills. In February I sold a Kobe Bryant game issued 1998-1999 jersey for $1300. The buyer had questions which I answered. After the buyer received the jersey, they left positive feedback then put in a request for a return claiming the item was fake. His basis for claiming the jersey was fake was because of the location of where a year tag was, and the material seemed different from other jerseys he compared it to.
After the return request was opened, I contacted Ebay first chance I had. I explained to the Ebay agent that this was a bogus claim and that I wanted to fight it, because I had no returns. I was told I needed to wait 3 days to ask Ebay to step in and help. It was also suggested to me that I contact the buyer and try to work things out with the buyer, which I did, and it didn't work. After 3 days had passed, I finally was given the option to ask Ebay to step in and help, at which time I also gave a reason why I wanted to have Ebay investigate. Immediately upon clicking the link, the case was put on a five-day hold. After 5 days had passed the case was then decided in favor of the buyer not more then 12 hours of the case being off it's hold. From the time the case was opened, to the day when the final decision was made, I spoke to 8 or 9 different agents of which 3 or 4 told me that I shouldn't have anything to worry about because the buyer never submitted any kind of proof or evidence to back their claim. However, after all the appeals had failed, I spoke with an Ebay supervisor who explained to me that the reason I had lost the case was because I never sent the buyer a shipping label to have the item shipped back to me so I could receive the item back in order to file a claim against the buyer for a false claim. So regardless of what information was presented to Ebay it was never truly looked at or investigated based on the reason that I didn't accept the return in order to do the process like Ebay wanted it done. So, no matter what information was there, this information was never even looked at because the case was decided solely on the fact, I didn't accept the return.
I have had several issues with Ebay's return system, as a buyer and as a seller. I one time purchased an authentic Padres jersey from someone who claimed they purchased the jersey from the Team Store at Petco Park home of the San Diego Padres. After receiving the jersey, I noticed right away it was 100% fake. First, I contacted the seller and requested to return it for my money back, which they refused. The seller even changed their story by saying that they didn't get it from the Padres team store otherwise they would have sold it for more. Then I reached out to Ebay where Ebay said I needed to get 100% proof that it was fake, and that I needed to get written proof from a 3rd party who was an MLB licensed apparel dealer. Well I had gone to the Padres team store where they let me take pictures of one of their authentic jerseys as well as confirmed that it was in fact a fake. but they would not give me written proof of it being fake. I tried to submit the pictures I took showing the differences between an actual authentic jersey in the team store as well as one I had in my collection, and the fake. Ebay would not accept the pictures as evidence, or proof. Ebay wouldn't even listen to the fact that the seller had changed what they had claimed in their listing. I finally went another sports store that also sold authentic Padres jerseys and they thankfully gave me written statement that the jersey was in fact fake. I finally got my money back and the seller left me my first negative feedback. I mentioned the above because it shows what I had to do in order to get a refund of $70.
Then later I was sold a Tony Gwynn bat I had. When I had listed the bat, I made 100% sure not to list the bat as a game used bat or a bat used by Tony Gwynn. I had no proof if the bat was ever game used or if he actually had used it. I had specifically listed the bat as a used Tony Gwynn bat which is what it was, because it was a Tony Gwynn bat, and it was clearly used because it was cracked. The person bought the bat and immediately opened up a request for a return, reason being, claimed I listed it as a game used bat by Tony Gwynn. Of course, I wanted to fight it because I knew exactly what I had in my listing. I pointed out to Ebay that I made "no" claim that the bat was game used or used by Tony Gwynn. I figured it was going to be an easy open and shut case. However, I was wrong the decision went in favor of buyer and Ebay granted the return. I got in touch with Ebay and spoke to a supervisor and asked them to look at the listing I had posted, and the descriptions I had of the bat. After they read it, they agreed with what I was saying and said that the return should never have been granted. They refunded my money back to me because they felt the return should never have been granted in the first place.
So here we are again several years later and I'm having the same exact issue with Ebay not truly doing an investigation into the case after asking Ebay to step in and help, but solely making the decision based on the reason that I didn't accept the return and send the buyer a return shipping label. The person who purchased the Bryant jersey in his complaint based the jersey as being fake because the material felt different compared to other jerseys and because of the location of a year tag and felt it was in the wrong spot. both of these issues that the buyer had were addressed or informed in the listing. Plus the pictures posted clearly showed where the year tag was. So for the seller to make a claim against something that is informed in the listing descriptions is where I have the biggest problem with Ebay. Ebay clearly did not investigate this case because I pointed this out to Ebay and it was simply overlooked because I didn't follow Ebay's return procedure. which I'm sorry is an absolute injustice to sellers. First "WHY" does Ebay have a link for sellers asking Ebay to step in and help, when this actually loses the case for the sellers. From the time I first contacted Ebay to the day I finally had it explained to me why I lost, not one person I spoke to said that if I didn't accept the return that I would lose the case. I don't understand why Ebay even gives the option to the seller to ask Ebay to step in and help because Ebay does the exact opposite, they step in and go against you because you didn't do the return. Also, what's the point of calling to get help or ask questions if you get sent in the wrong direction. If I would have had one person explain to me that if i didn't accept the return that I would lose the case I might have tried a different approach.
Since the final decision was made, I have tried to get this matter resolved because Ebay made the wrong decision. Since the first day I have spoken to more than 50 Ebay agents. Although most everyone has tried to help me somewhere along the lines Ebay has just shown that they don't care for the customer and have shown that they can't even follow their own policies or how they handle the cases. Since the case was finalized I have had my account suspended 2 times, I have had my selling privileges restricted 6 or 7 times. Which this is what makes absolutely no sense to me with Ebay's payment set up. Before when most payments were made through Paypal you as a seller were billed by Ebay. But with the new set up where buyers pay you directly through Ebay. Ebay holds onto your funds and takes out what fees you owe as well as any outstanding balances that you owe before they send you your payout. However, they want to keep restricting me from selling. I don't know what rocket scientist thought this was a great idea, but it makes absolutely no sense. If Ebay holds onto any payments you receive wouldn't it make more sense to encourage the seller to sell more in order to pay off an outstanding balance sooner. But hey that's Ebay for you. So far as a result of Ebay's great customer care I have had my bank account debited 6 times for the amount I don't have, each time costing me $29 for insufficient funds and each time taking what little money I have left. Ebay has truly shown me their true character here. So if anyone else has had the same type of issues happen with them I'd definitely like to hear about it. I've even reached out to the Better Business Bureau about this injustice.
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